Loan Repayment Program for Health Disparities Research (L60)

Purpose

The objective of L60 is to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals into research careers that focus on minority health or health disparities.
The Program serves as an avenue for NIH to engage and promote the development of research and research programs that reflect the variety of issues and problems associated with minority health and disparities in health status. This requirement highlights the need for the involvement of a cadre of culturally competent health professionals in minority health research and research on health disparities. Research focused on diseases or conditions more prevalent or associated with greater morbidity/mortality in one or more minority racial or ethnic group or research focused on health disparity populations, without the proposed work itself being focused on improving minority health or addressing health disparities, is not considered health disparities research and will not be supported by LRP-HDR.

Definitions

Health Disparity Populations – Health Disparity Populations are determined by the Director of NIMHD, after consultation with the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and are defined as populations where there is significant disparity in the overall rate of disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality, or survival rates in the population as compared to the health status of the general population. The following populations have been designated as health disparity populations: Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, underserved rural populations, and sexual and gender minorities.

Health Disparities Research – Basic, clinical, social, or behavioral research on health disparity populations (including individual members and communities of such populations) that relates to health disparities, including the causes of such disparities and methods to prevent, diagnose, and treat such disparities.

Minority Health Disparities Research – Basic, clinical, or behavioral research on minority health conditions, including research to prevent, diagnose, and treat such conditions.

Minority Health Conditions – All diseases, disorders, and other conditions (including mental health and substance abuse) that are unique to, more serious, or more prevalent in members of minority groups (racial or ethnic minority groups), for which the medical risk or types of medical intervention may be different for members of minority groups, or for which it is unknown whether such factors or types are different for such individuals, or research involving such populations as subjects or data on such individuals is insufficient.
 

Additional Program Information

As of September 1, 2019, NIH participation in the LRP-HDR expanded to include all NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs). Previously, all LRP-HDR applications were assigned to and reviewed by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). LRP-HDR applicants have the option of selecting one NIH IC from a drop-down list when applying. Applicants may also select one additional IC for secondary review assignment. Assignments are determined by the Division of Receipt and Referral, Center for Scientific Review. Although an applicant's selection will be taken under consideration, it is not a guarantee of a desired assignment.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to review each IC Mission and Research Priorities statement and then contact one or more IC scientific LRP liaisons to discuss their research and career interests as it relates to the research and funding priorities of the selected IC. Research and funding priorities can change on a yearly basis, thus it is imperative that applicants contact a liaison to ensure appropriate understanding of IC priorities. A list of NIH IC scientific LRP liaisons is available on the Contact & Engage page.

Award Information

• Funding Instrument: Contract
• Funding Category: Loan Repayment Programs